Summertime mountain food festival showcases Czech chefs at peak talent

Pec pod Sněžkou, a skiing village at the foot of Czechia’s highest peak, Sněžka, is a winter wonderland. But don’t make the mistake of overlooking it in summer – a visit for hiking, biking, and climbing is well worth it while everyone else heads to the seaside.

Summertime in Pec has another major draw: the lesser-known Vavřinec Gastro Summer Festival, which brings some of Prague’s hardest-working chefs to the terrace of the Aparthotel Svatý Vavřinec to give visitors a taste of culinary greatness from restaurants where reservations are hard to come by and menus cost a fortune.

This is the third year of the festival, organized by Martin Venglář, director of the Svatý Vavřinec. Venglář has spent his career in hospitality, working behind the scenes at world-class hotels from London to Zanzibar, Prague, and now Pec, where he is now transforming the accommodation and dining experience in the area.

“Visitors experience a unique combination of fine dining and street food. The chefs serve food directly from the pans for sharing, without fancy plating. In the Czech Republic, people are not accustomed to sharing food, but this event encourages it,” Venglář said.

You don’t need to be a hotel guest to enjoy this year's festival which runs from July 14 to Aug. 24. The event transforms street food into fine dining, presented by acclaimed chefs from top restaurants; many travel from Prague to Pec to showcase their skills in a more casual setting.

The festival offers 14 cooking shows, and on select holiday Saturdays and one Friday, chefs will harmonize their menus with live DJs, including Jiří Burian (a.k.a. Captain Demo) as part of the “Play as You Cook, Cook as You Play” concept.

This year’s festival highlights include Japan in Pec with chef Marek Hora (July 20), one of the foremost experts on sushi and Japanese cuisine in the Czech Republic. From 2013 to the end of 2023, he was the co-owner and chef of the Yamato restaurant in Prague’s Vinohrady.

Tomáš Císařovský (July 27) has worked with Michelin-starred chefs like Gilad Peled and Nicolas Sale in the past, and, in the Czech Republic, previously helmed V Zátiší and Bellevue. Today, you will find Císařovský at Portfolio Restuarant, one of Prague’s most underrated, according to Venglář.

MasterChef contestant Givi will serve Georgian fried chicken sandwiches on July 17; later in the summer, Augustine restaurant head chef Jan Horák will serve his take on an American menu (Aug. 28).

On Aug. 2, catch rising culinary star Václav Frič, winner of the Young Chef award in 2024, before he heads to intern at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Lausanne. Frič’s combination of French, Italian, and Czech was honed under his father, chef of the renowned restaurant Na Pekárně, another acclaimed restaurant outside Prague worth a visit.

Wine pairing sessions with expert commentary, including showcases from Šoman Winery and sommelier Tomáš Melich from Vinit Wine Shop, are also on the schedule.

Venglář also has some tips for worthwhile dining stops along your summer travels. 

“Brno is getting quite interesting; it’s like a large Karlín [Prague neighborhood]. Things are not as posh but creative, with a hipster vibe and many great concepts.” He also lauds Hotel Grandezza in the city center, where consistency and quality of service are quite rare.

“In Poděbrady, I am also blown by Hotel Mama, a small four-star hotel with the most amazing a la carte breakfast. Also, Naš Hostincec on the colonnade where everything is homemade: salads, homemade pastry, great beer,” he says.

Back in Pec, Venglář suggests Hostinec Na Kopečku for scenic views, hearty game dishes, and Czech classics or Bouda pod Sněžkou for the modern mountain hut vibe, blueberry dumplings, and lake-fresh trout. Kolinska Bouda serves Krkonoše specialties in a family-friendly setting. And, of course, the Aparthotel Svatý Vavřinec bistro, which hosts the upcoming food festival on its open-kitchen terrace.

The restaurant specializes in aged meat sourced from the Basařovi farm in the Podkrkonoší region as well as fish: Chef Petr Macků will host the Aug. 17 Gastro Summer event by breaking down a large tuna.